Of Her Own Element
by Miss Melantha
Summary: Rini Honda finds that a simple run in with some Sohmas with sister Tohru not only completely changes both their lives, but brings her to know who she truly is and where she truly belongs.
1. A bird in the hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It is © Natsuki Takaya. Original characters are my own. I did use the manga for who says what and when. Please leave a review to help me improve my writing, or to tell me how much you liked or disliked the story, but keep it nice!

You will notice some of the words have been italicized and bolded. This is because they are Japanese items or words. If the words are italicized, it's for emphasis on the word. If I have a whole sentence or paragraph(s) italicized, it's just a flashback. If it's in parenthesis, it's just a little muse by me, the writer.

**_Geta (gay-tah) - _**Traditional Japanese sandal, traditionally worn with a kimono or yukata.

**_Kotatsu (ko-taht-sue)- _**A low wooden table, often accompanied wit ha futon or heavy blanket in the colder seasons, a heat source underneath.

**_Kimono (key-moe-no)- _**Traditional robe-type garment worn my men, women, and children.

**_Hime (he-may)- _**Princess.

**_Matcha (maht-cha)-_** Powder-likefinely ground green tea leaves.

* * *

Rini Honda couldn't help but trail behind Yuki Sohma as she followed him into the forest on the outskirts of town. Slender pale fingers clutched her worn leather book bag; the material squeaking in protest to her grip, causing more seams to pop in the buttery soft handle. She groaned, slighting a glance up to Yuki to see if he heard her. He kept walking, oblivious. She closed her heterochromatic peridot and silvery-grey eyes with a sigh of relief, suddenly finding herself flat on her butt in the dirt trail, Yuki looking down at her.

"Is everything alright, Honda-chan? You're walking rather slow," he offered her a hand, grey hair falling into his amethyst eyes. Rini hesitated, almost afraid she might crush his hand with the slightest grasp, and carefully got up. Yuki took his hand back and watched her brush off of her knee-high school uniform skirt. "I'm sorry that I made you fall, Honda-chan."

Rini couldn't help but snort as she bent down to dust off her white knee-high socks with a lacy black floral pattern. "Please. I bumped into you, Sohma-kun. I wasn't watching where I was going and didn't notice you had stopped in front of me." A raven-colored herringbone braid slipped over her shoulder as she stood back up. "I should be the one to apologize. You're going out of your way to tutor me and I haven't shown any gratitude." She gave a bow. Over the years, Tohru's formality and her mother's teachings had sunk in, but had the tendency to get placed in the back of her mind every now and again.

"It's no trouble. My home is just a little further ahead," he said, turning, continuing to walk down the trail, Rini walking in step beside him this time.

"So…" Rini started, then closed her mouth, unsure of what to talk about. Yuki looked over at her, curious, until they came up to the house in the middle of nowhere. Rini stopped, looking at the house in awe. "You live _here_?" Yuki proceeded to walk up the steps, opening the door. Rini caught the babble of water as she followed him inside the large estate.

"Oh, good, Shigure doesn't seem to be awake," he said more to himself in relief, walking to the living room. Rini took her shoes and socks off and set them by the door, seeing a pair of _**geta** _apart from Yuki's shoes. Curiosity peaked, she followed in Yuki's direction moments later, seeing paper doors opened to a porch and a beautiful view of the forest, sunlight catching on the autumn-tipped treetops. Yuki had set down at a _**kotatsu**_, books and papers out in front of him. Rini sat across from him, doing the same. "Okay, what do you need to be caught up on?"

Rini looked at the books and papers with a sigh. "I don't know where to begin."

* * *

Shigure Sohma sleepily treaded down the stairs, tying his **_kimono_**, papers in tow under an arm, shaking messy black hair from his eyes. He gave a slight pause when he saw the brown Mary Jane shoes by the door. He peeked around the corner into the living room, only to see Yuki sitting at the _**kotatsu**_ with his back to Shigure, a stack of papers and books beside him along with papers and books spread out convex in front of him.  
"She went to the bathroom. Don't scare her when she comes back," Yuki chided, keeping his eyes on his work.

"The fact that we have a guest at all is surprising, and a female, none-the-less," Shigure wistfully mentioned, sitting adjacent to Yuki.

"Her marks plummeted from a couple months ago, she's had trouble getting them back up," Yuki explained in short.

"Hmm…she must be well-liked for your teacher to make sure she gets back on her feet." Shigure mused, looking at the girl's papers. Yuki made a noise in agreement, but never took his eyes off of his work.

"I didn't see the harm in helping her."

"Probably because you like her," Shigure smiled, hiding behind his papers.

"That's optimistic at best," Rini said, taking her seat. "Yuki doesn't like any girls at school, or so the rumors say," she gave Yuki a wink, going back to her homework. He blinked in surprise. Where had this personality come from?

"And you must be our lovely visitor," Shigure looked at her, smiling. "I'm Shigure Sohma, Yuki-kun's cousin."

"I'm Rini Honda, I'm in Sohma-kun's class," she gave a polite bow of her head. Yuki put his books and papers in his book bag, finished with his work. Shigure watched Rini do her homework, or rather, kept his eyes on the red and white juzu bead bracelet on her left wrist. Yuki eyed him suspiciously.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Shigure offered, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I couldn't-" she started to protest.

"It's the least I could do for a guest in my house," Shigure waved off her decline, obviously refusing to take "no" for an answer. Rini looked at him for a moment.

"Then, if it's not too much trouble, could I bring some home for my sister, Tohru?"

* * *

"Thanks for coming over, Rini-chan! I'll see you in the next couple of days!" Shigure waved goodbye to her from the front door.

"Thanks for dinner, Sohma-san!" She waved goodbye to him as well, walking off down the dirt path, sunset rays giving her enough light to help her see where she was going, a bag of take-out food clutched tight in one hand, book bag in the other. Shigure shut the door with a smile. Yuki looked at him, a mix of emotions on his face.

"What was that for?" he finally asked.

"As far as I'm concerned, Yuki, I have yet to meet a friend of yours. It's the least I could do for our first guest in…ever." Shigure explained.

"She's not a friend, I'm just helping her with school."

"Then, I think I helped you make a friend."

Yuki looked at him, unsure and untrusting of his true motives, but sighed in exasperation. "Thanks for not embarrassing me."

"Oh, trust me, it was tempting," Shigure smiled, walking to his study and picking up the phone, dialing one of the numbers he knew by heart. "Hatori, you are going to love this."

Yuki watched him go, shaking his head. As he turned to go back to the living room, he spotted money sticking out from underneath the phone at the end table in the hallway with a note that read "Thank you" in Rini's handwriting.

* * *

Rini walked into the Twilight Manga Café in town, take-out food still in hand, heading to the backroom for the employees to set it in the refrigerator. Tohru wouldn't be off of work for another few hours, no sense in leaving the food out if she didn't have to while she waited for her sister. Miyuki Hamasaki, Rini's boss and the owner of the café, walked in, having seen Rini go into the backroom. "How was your catch-up session with Yuki Sohma?" She wiped her delicate hands on the towel hanging from the waist tie of her chocolate brown bib apron, the café's logo embroidered in the top left in strawberry pink and white letters, her name tag underneath. Her black shoulder length hair was in it's usual ponytail, bangs framing her face, showing off her olive-colored eyes and kind features.

"Degrading. I feel dirty all over. And his _cousin_-" she shivered in disgust.

"Well, if you want to wash off that disgusting feeling, you know where the bathrooms are upstairs," Miyuki gave her a side hug with a smile and chortle.

"Get back to work, Miyuki-san, I'll play customer for tonight while I wait for Tohru." Rini said, happiness in her voice, but not in her expression.

"If there's anything I can do to make sure you stay in school, let me know. School is much more important that _this_," she motioned to the area around her.

"You sound like my mother," Rini scowled, crossing her arms, looking at her.

"I only graduated from junior high; I missed out on so much. I don't want to see that happen to you."

"Now you really sound like my mother." Miyuki chuckled, going back to her work. Rini soon went and sat in one of the springy armchairs with a Mogeta manga in hand, taking in the rare moment of being by herself with nothing to do. "Miyuki-san? Can I have some tea, please?"

* * *

"Wow…" Tohru Honda climbed out of the tent and marveled at the bright morning sky, a smile instantly spread across her face, her coffee-colored eyes sparkling, long brunette hair in it's usual ribbons. Rini looked up at the sky as well. "It looks like today's going to be another hot one." Rini groaned upon hearing this, trudging off into the forest. Tohru followed after her, cheerful as always. She looked at her watch. "Rini, let's explore the area!"

Rini rubbed the sleep from her eyes, yawned, and followed after Tohru off in a different direction, soon crossing over a stream. Why did this look a little familiar to her? Oh, wait.

Tohru saw the house and looked at in in awe, much like Rini had done. Before she had time to open her mouth to speak, Tohru was wondering off towards Shigure's home. "Tohru!" Rini hissed, following after her. Tohru looked around the near the porch, amazed, noticing a wind chime that had caught a light breeze, tinkling gently, then looked down, seeing hand painted ornaments of the Chinese zodiac. Rini hurried over, glancing at the ornaments. "C'mon-"

"Girls…out here? My, my…_and high school girls, no less_!" Shigure had the morning paper in hand, wearing another kimono.

"H-Hello! I'm sorry for trespassing! I just saw these and-" Tohru started, panicked and shocked. Rini just shook her head.

"Please, continue, I merely set them there to dry," Shigure said. "I thought you young people were bored by old-fashioned superstitions like the Chinese zodiac." He smiled, looking at Rini, giving her a wink. She blinked, looking at him.

"N-No! I think these zodiac ornaments are adorable!" Tohru stammered, flustered.

"Hmm…aren't they? I like them, too," Shigure sat down on the porch adjacent to Tohru and Rini, looking at the ornaments.

"But I guess you wouldn't have the cat," Tohru said, having counted out twelve zodiac ornaments.

"Cat? Oh, you mean the cat from the zodiac legend?" Shigure looked at her in puzzlement then surprise at her apparent knowledge of the legend. Tohru nodded, smiling.

"That's right! Mother told us that story all the time!" Tohru recalled how she felt bad for the cat in the story, and declared that she would no longer be the year of the dog, but the year of the cat. "That's how much I like the cat."

"Is that so? I wish I could see the expression on his face if he heard you say that," Shigure mused, more to himself.

"What?" Tohru asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing," Shigure said, dismissing what he said with a wave of his hand (non-existant Jedi powers!). "So, you're born in the year of the dog? I knew I felt connected to you. Can't you feel it? I'm a 'dog', too, you-" he was interrupted by Yuki's book bag smacking Shigure in the head. "…see…" Tohru looked at Shigure in shock. Rini just looked at Yuki.

"Really. Must you always act like such a letch?" Yuki looked at him in mild disgust.

"Okay, _that_ hurt. What do you have in there, a dictionary?" Shigure whined, ego and head bruised.

"Two of them," Yuki corrected with a slight satisfaction. Tohru just looked at the two of them, unsure of what to do, surprised to see Yuki standing in front of her. "Are you alright, Honda-san? My cousin didn't _do_ anything to you, did he?"

"So-Sohma-kun! G-Good morning!" Tohru stammered, flustered again. Rini just nodded her good morning.

"Hmph! Must you _always _make me out to be a pervert?" Shigure huffed.

* * *

Rini was grateful to hear the final bell in the school day. Walking to school with Yuki, the Yuki fan club members spying on her and Tohru throughout the day as a result, Saki Hanajima saying that she shared similar waves with Yuki, hearing more rumors about Yuki from Arisa Uotani, she couldn't think she'd take anything more about the "Prince." She gave Tohru a pat on the shoulder as she passed her still sitting at her desk. "See you at home later."

"Yeah, girly, don't work too hard," Uo gave Rini a hug. "You're too young to get married to your job."

"Married to a waitress job, that'll be the day," Rini scoffed, feeling Hana's arms wrap around her in a more intimate embrace.

"Stay a little while, Rini. Surely Miyuki-san will understand."

"Would if I could, but you know you're welcome to come by and visit me, not like you guys don't already," Rini returned Hana's embrace.

"Yes, we will visit the great Zodiac after our shopping is over!" Uo declared exuberantly. Rini rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Hey you two, take the PDA outside," Mayuko Shiraki, their homeroom teacher, called from her desk at the front of the room, a joking tone in her voice. "Honda-chan, c'mere a sec."

Hana let Rini go, giving her a quizzical look, along with Uo. "I'll see you guys later. You two get me something nice while you're out," Rini gave them a wave as she walked over to the teacher's desk.

"I've been looking at your papers over the course of the day and I have to admit, I've noticed an improvement with Sohma-san's help," she informed, pleased. Figures.

"I'm glad to hear that it's helped a little," Rini replied politely with a nod of her head. She wondered how long she would have to keep up her enthusiasm about the school's sex symbol.

"I'd work with him as much as possible, maybe even go to see him on your days off. You'll be in tip-top shape in no-time."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rini nodded.

"Alright, get going, I know you have work," she shooed her away. Rini gave a slight bow and hurried out the door.

Yuki was leaning against the wall across from the classroom doors. Rini gave a slight pause when she saw him, closing the door behind her. "Ah, Honda-chan," Yuki straighted himself. Rini turned, walking down the hall. Yuki caught up with her, walking alongside her. "I wanted to return this to you." He handed her an envelope. Rini stopped, taking it from his grasp and peering inside, handing it back to him.

"I don't want this."

"The dinner was Shigure's treat, odd as it was. We're not going to take your payment."

Rini looked around to see if anyone was possibly spying on them, folding the envelope in half and tucking it under her uniform shirt, out of sight, unnoticeable. It made her feel like a prostitute. "Thanks," her voice was flat with an edge of annoyance. "I'll see you tomorrow," she started to walk off.

"What did Uotani-san mean when she called you 'Zodiac'?"

Rini stopped a moment, opening and closing her mouth. She shook her head and kept walking, calling to him behind her. "It's what she's been calling me since I've known her. If I told you why, I'd have to kill you."

* * *

Rini was happy to be working, even if she was waiting tables and making coffee in a _**Hime**_ Lolita outfit that reminded her of Neapolitan ice cream. The lacy "vanilla" bodice and petticoat and tiered lacy "strawberry" skirt was covered by the "chocolate" bib apron that was worn over it all, with matching striped stockings and dark brown Mary Jane shoes. Hana and Uo had already come and gone, the customers slowing down to a mere trickle as it got later in the day.

"Ah, the typical Friday-night slow down," Miyuki said with a satisfied sigh, sipping on some coffee behind the counter. Rini, whose tables had emptied, each one thoroughly cleaned and restocked with condiments and napkins, joined Miyuki at the counter, making herself a _**matcha** _latté, a couple other waitresses busy at work in their various sections. "What could go wrong with such a good day?"

"Miyuki-chan!" the voice practically sang her name from the front door. Miyuki and Rini both looked to see an overly ecstatic Shigure, Yuki beside him shaking his head.

"I believe it would be that, Miyuki-san," Rini said, her good mood suddenly deflated. "How does he know you? I've never seen either of them here before."

"It's a long story."

"You're just as mysterious as Yuki-kun sometimes, Miyuki-san, you know that?"

Miyuki only smiled. "Go seat them." Rini opened her mouth to argue, but received an reproachful look. She grumbled, walking over to them, reaching them with a bow. "Good evening, and welcome to the Twilight Manga Café. This way, please," She snatched up two menus and proceeded to take them to the table farthest away from the front counter. Shigure instead went to the closest table toward the counter where Miyuki was.

"Shigure, don't be rude," Yuki said, watching him.

"Non-sense," he said, waving off Yuki's statement (more non-existant Jedi powers!). Rini looked at Yuki, who looked at Rini, both unsure of what to do.

"If it's not too much trouble, may we sit up there?" Yuki asked politely.

"By all means, it's still my section," she said, gesturing to Yuki to proceed. Yuki gave a polite nod and joined Shigure. Rini followed, feeling the eyes of the other waitresses on her, as well as a couple of the patrons.

"Ah, Rini-chan, so good to see you again. I had no idea you worked here," Shigure said, smiling.

"What can I get for you two to drink?" Rini had placed the menus in front of them, paper pad and pen in hand. Miyuki came over, setting tea in front of them both.

"I can take it from here, Honda-chan. You head on home to your grandfather, you've worked very hard today," Miyuki smiled. Rini gave a bow, hurrying to the back room to change. She emerged moments later in her school uniform, book bag in hand.

"Good night, Miyuki-san! See you tomorrow!" she waved goodbye, hurrying out the door. Miyuki waved back, and once Rini was out of sight, pulled out the adjacent chair to Shigure and Yuki, sitting down.

"Do I need to close down early?" Miyuki asked, looking at Shigure, expression between upset and worry.

"It would be best if you did," Shigure said, taking a sip of his tea. "We have a lot to catch up on."


	2. A cat out of the bag

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It is © Natsuki Takaya. Original characters are my own. I did use the manga for who says what and when. Please leave a review to help me improve my writing, or to tell me how much you liked or disliked the story, but keep it nice!

You will notice some of the words have been italicized and bolded. This is because they are Japanese items or words. If the words are italicized, it's for emphasis on the word. If I have a whole sentence or paragraph(s) italicized, it's just a flashback or a thought. If it's in parenthesis, it's just a little muse by me, the writer.

**_Kotatsu (ko-taht-sue)- _**A low wooden table, often accompanied with a futon or heavy blanket in the colder seasons, a heat source underneath.

**_Futon (foo-tawn)-_** Traditional bedding, consisting of a thin mattress, comforters, and pillow.

* * *

Miyuki watched Yuki and Shigure walk out of her café. It was the first time she had seen Shigure in 16 years. How did he know where to find her? Who else knew? Miyuki shook her head, knowing it was no use to worry about such things, and keep going on with her life. For Rini's sake, however, she couldn't help but worry.

* * *

Rini sat in the tent wrapped in a blanket; flashlight in one hand, Noa Kiritani novel in the other.

"I'm home," Tohru said lazily, crawling into the tent.

"Welcome back," Rini said, turning a page in the book.

"I'm so tired, but I have to finish my homework," Tohru said, grabbing a towel and crawling back outside. "Oh…so…dizzy. Maybe if I washed my face I'd-"

Rini looked up at Tohru, noticing she was frozen in place. "Tohru?" She crawled towards her sister, poking her head out of the tent. "What's the-?" Rini looked up, seeing Shigure and Yuki looking back at them. Shigure then burst into laughter, pointing at the two of them. Rini glared at him, annoyed.

"Shigure, don't be rude," Yuki calmly said.

* * *

"Four months ago, Tohru and I started living with our grandfather from our father's side. Our aunt and her family decided to move in with us not long ago. Grandpa wanted to remodel the house before their arrival; he would be staying with them in the meantime, and we would be staying with a friend," Rini sat at the _**kotatsu**_ in Shigure's home, next to Tohru, across from Yuki and Shigure. "We didn't want to trouble either of them with their living arrangements, so we decided to live out on our own."

"I see…so that explains the tent. How long have you been living there?" Yuki asked. Shigure continued to snigger, turned away from them.

"For about a week," Tohru looked down. Rini couldn't tell if she was ashamed, or just wore out.

"I wondered how you could live nearby. You know that this hill is Sohma property? We haven't rented it out or sold it."

"Um…then, if it isn't too much trouble, could you rent us a camping space? We'll leave as soon as our grandpa's remodeling is done. We don't have much money, but we can pay. Please?" Tohru looked at them pleadingly.

"That place is dangerous. The cliff wall is unstable and you never know when some shady character might pass through. Besides, where will you plug in your curling iron?" Shigure managed to chime in.

"Are you done?" Yuki glanced at Shigure.

"It's okay! I don't mind the slugs!" Tohru suddenly stood up, determined. "We can take care of ourselves! Please…? I'm…begging you…" Tohru's voice grew weaker as she slumped down.

"Honda-san?!" Yuki stood, alarmed. Rini caught her as best as she could, a worried expression on her face. Yuki walked over, checking Tohru's forehead. "You have a fever."

"I'll get ice!" Shigure offered, throwing open a door that had been kept closed, looking into an abyss of trash bags and dirty dishes. He scratched his head. "…Huh. Now, if I were ice, where would I be hiding…?"

Rini and Tohru looked inside in horror. Rini opened her mouth several times, only to close it again. She turned away, plugging her nose.

"It's the Sea of Corruption," Tohru said, Rini nodding in agreement.

"That's nearly poetic!" Shigure pointed out to Tohru with a smile. His expression changed after hearing the howl of a wolf. Rini looked in the direction of the howl as well, her look uneasy. "There was a landslide just now," Shigure mused as Yuki turned to a closet, grabbing a first aid kit.

"Uh, um, how do you know…?" Tohru asked as Rini stared at him, both obviously curious.

"How? Call it 'animal instinct'."

"Stop messing around. Where was the landslide?" Yuki passively asked as he walked over to Tohru with the first aid.

"Always so solemn, Yuki-kun," Shigure sighed.

"Could it have been…? W-WHAT IF IT WAS NEAR THE TENT?! Err…just kidding!" Tohru laughed uneasily as she tried to calm down.

"That's the spirit," Shigure smiled.

"Seriously-where was it?" Yuki asked again, looking at Shigure.

Rini shook her head and took off running out the door.

"Rini-chan!" Shigure and Tohru called out after her. When they reached the site of the landslide, Rini was already there, standing stalk still, eyes wide in horror. Their tent was nowhere to be seen under all the earth that rolled over it. Tohru gave a scream.

"Th-this is terrible! A picture of mom was in that ten! Mom!" Tohru ran to the stones, sticks, and mud, digging.

"Honda-san?" Yuki came up to her, trying to comfort her. "Honda-san, calm down, you're not well."

"But! But, but mom! I have to save her! She's in pain!" Tohru ignored him and kept digging. Shigure set a hand over one of hers.

"Let's come back when it's light out. If there's another landslide and you get hurt, your mother will be in even more pain. Okay?"

* * *

Rini sat on Shigure's roof, watching as Yuki came back with ice. She quietly climbed down after a few minutes, going to the porch and peeking in at Tohru, finding her sound asleep. '_Yuki and Shigure must have gone to bed_,' she thought.

"You should think about getting some rest soon too, you know," Shigure sat down on the porch, setting an ashtray down beside him and lighting a cigarette.

"I'll be fine," she said, closing the door and sitting down next to him.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother," he said after a few moments. Rini gave a slight nod.

"It was devastating for the both of us. Our dad died when we were three. Mom worked so hard for us, we helped anyway we could with cooking and cleaning. It's not uncommon for Tohru to take on too much at once and get sick like this," Rini looked out at the garden and forest around her, taking in what she could see by the moonlight. "Our grandfather lives off a pension, so we both decided to get jobs to pay for our expenses."

"You're both very thoughtful girls," Shigure exhaled a puff of smoke.

"It's natural for Tohru to put others before her. I envy her at times, how she always manages to see the silver lining in any situation, and to stay so happy. I can't remember the last time I even giggled. I mean, how sad is that?"

"I suppose you could use to take away a thing or two from Tohru-kun's personality."

Rini only nodded, letting the silence settle in again. "It was lucky you found us. I'm such a fool. I _always_ notice when Tohru starts to get sick, and I should've known that wasn't a good spot to have a tent." Rini exhaled, furious with herself. "I don't know where to go. I couldn't trouble Miyuki-san, she doesn't know that I've gone to live in a tent in the middle of nowhere."

"…Well…" Shigure started. "Why don't you live here? There's rooms available upstairs, and if you couldn't tell from our state of living, we could use a housekeeper or two. You won't have to pay for the rooms, just keep the house clean and keep us fed, and you can leave when the remodeling is finished."

"It's a great offer, but I don't think I could accept. I couldn't stand to live with Sohma-kun."

"Oh? Why's that?" He looked at her, curious.

"I…I don't know. There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way."

"I think, that if you stay here, and you give it time, your perception of Yuki will change. I'll let you sleep on it. C'mon, I have a _**futon**_ set up for you upstairs." He snubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray, standing up. Rini yawned, curling up where she was.

"I'll be fine sleeping right…here…" Her voice lazily drifted off as she fell fast asleep. Shigure couldn't help but smile to himself as he picked her up, quietly climbing the stairs. He set her in the _**futon**_ in the room beside his, tucking her in and leaving her to sleep.

* * *

Tohru awoke in the morning from a much needed sleep. Had she dreamt about the landslide? She sat up, taking in her surroundings, piecing together last night's events. "Oh no! How could I fall asleep!" She quickly got up, throwing open the doors to the porch. "I have to dig mom out!" She froze, shocked and surprised, when she saw Yuki standing in front of her, bags in one hand, frame in the other.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" He smiled at her.

"So-muh-goo-" Tohru stammered, flustered.

"Here. Your picture," Yuki handed her the frame in his left hand, the picture of Kyoko. "The rest of your things should be in these bags, could you make sure?" He set them in front of her.

"Eh?! How?! You dug through the landslide by yourself?!" She looked at him in disbelief.

"Of course not."

"Then how did you-?"

"It's a secret," he said, vague and mysterious.

"Well…thank you. Thank you so much!"

"Sure. I'll take your things upstairs. Yuki offered, grabbing the bags and walking toward the stairs.

"Huh?" Tohru looked at him, confused.

"The house is filthy, and we're not used to having women around, but there's a room for you and Honda-chan upstairs. You can stay here until the remodeling is finished," He explained, looking back at her.

"No! No! I couldn't possibly-!" Tohru shook her head furiously.

"Oh, don't worry. There's a lock on the door," Yuki said to calm her.

"Th-That's not what I meant!"

"Tohru-kun, do you like housework?" Shigure suddenly appeared behind Tohru, startling her. "Like cleaning and cooking."

"Um…yes, I like housekeeping. …Why?"

"Welcome to the Sohma house!" He sang, a smile on his face. "This room hasn't been used in a while, so it's a little stuffy. Oh, we'll need to make some spare house keys…" Shigure started rambling, taking some of Tohru's things to carry upstairs. "Yuki-kun, find her something to wear."

"No…really, I couldn't!" Tohru started again, feeling overwhelmed. "Taking care of me and giving me a room- it's too much! I'm causing you too much trouble."

"Honda-san," Yuki turned to her. "We're the one's asking you to stay. You're not a bother. If we didn't want you here, we wouldn't ask."

"But!"

"Besides, where else are you going to go?"

"I'll try not to be any trouble," Tohru followed Yuki upstairs as he pointed the rooms out to her. "Please tell me the Sohma rules and customs. I don't want to do anything to-"

"Honda-san," Yuki stopped, turning to look at her once again. "It's okay, just be yourself and do things at your own pace. You'll fit right in."

* * *

Rini awoke to the sound of a crash not far away. As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at the ceiling, the air stale and slightly warm. She sat up, seeing she was in a room that was being used for storage, boxes blocking the way to the barely visible window. Quietly opening the door and peering out into the hallway, she instantly spotted Yuki and Shigure in the doorway of one of the other rooms.

"He…turned into a cat. But…he was just a boy a second ago," she heard Tohru from inside the room. "Is this because I crashed into him? I hit him in the wrong place and he turned into a cat?!"

"No…well, yeah. Kinda…?" Shigure struggled with what to say. Yuki was facing out into the hallway, looking at the floor in disgust and anger.

"We have to get him to the hospital!" Tohru cried. "He needs medical attention!"

"Tohru-kun!"

"Honda-san?!"

Yuki and Shigure was both facing her now, disappearing in puffs of smoke the next instant. Rini peered on, eyes wide in disbelief as she saw a rat and dog take their places.

"Hello? Choppaya delivery," a man called from downstairs. "Did somebody order breakfast? Sohma-saaaaaaaan?"

Tohru, unsure of what else to do, took the dog, cat, and rat downstairs as quick as she could. "They're all animals!" she cried.

Rini tip-toed downstairs once the delivery man had left to see what was the matter. Tohru sat holding take-out, utterly bewildered and overwhelmed. A large black dog laid down behind Tohru, a grey rat on it's head, an orange cat facing the dog and rat. None of them seemed to notice her.

"Great! Now how are we gonna explain this mess?" the cat yelled, rearing up, back arched, fur ruffled, angry. Rini gave a shriek, going back up a few steps.

"Don't blame me. You're the one that got us into this mess, stupid cat," she heard Yuki say. Rini gingerly stepped back downstairs, looking around for Yuki, then remembered the rat.

"Stupid cat?! Go ahead and try saying that again!" The cat said.

"_Stupid cat_," the rat, Yuki, glared at the cat.

"Why, you bastard!"

"That's enough already," the dog, Shigure, barked (no pun intended). "We might as well talk," he continued. "In a nutshell, I'm the dog, Yuki's the rat, and Kyo Sohma is the cat. We're possessed by their vengeful spirits. Ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, and boar. Yes, just like the Chinese zodiac. For hundreds of years the Sohma family has been possessed by twelve vengeful spirits that correspond to the zodiac. We don't have special powers or anything- well, we can communicate with our respective animals. But when our bodies are weak, and, for some reason, when we're hugged by someone of the opposite gender, we transform.. After sometime we change back into humans."

At this point, three puffs of smoke simultaneously appeared, Yuki, Shigure, and the other boy, Kyo, reappearing, however…

"But then we're completely naked." Shigure finished. Rini turned, covering her eyes before the smoke cleared. Tohru turned away as quick as she could.

"Move, you're in the way," Kyo ordered Rini, who was standing in front of the stairs, meaning to knock her aside.

"Now, Kyo, be nice to the girl, she's received a bit of a shock," he said, pulling Kyo behind him and Yuki. He gently laid a hand on Rini's shoulder.

"Just close your eyes tight and I'll lead you to the living room."

Rini nodded as she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling Shigure grasp both of her shoulders, turning her around and leading her away a few steps, keeping her at his arms length. When she heard the three of them go back upstairs, she opened them again, looking at Tohru, who was looking at her.

Rini couldn't help it. She started to giggle, going into near hysterics.

"Rini, what's so funny?"

The guys came back downstairs, fully clothed. Yuki looked at Rini, a little worried, Kyo just walked out to the porch, sitting down, his back to everyone.

"She's in shock," Shigure said, looking at Tohru. "She should be fine in a minute. Sorry about that, didn't mean to show you things you weren't ready for. Feeling better?" he asked in an embarrassed but wide smile.

"I'm getting there," Tohru mumbled, looking down.

Rini took deep, even breaths, trying her best to calm down. She reluctantly sat at the _**kotatsu**_, Tohru sitting down next to her, Shigure across from them.

"By the way, Tohru-kun," Shigure leaned in, whispering to her. "You said you wanted to be a cat. What do you think now that you've met him in person?"

"Wh- what's he like?" Tohru asked, cheerful.

"Kyo's such an idiot!" Shigure laughed. "He spends all his time studying martial arts, but he didn't even notice you were right behind him! He should have at least felt your presence! I hope he plans on taking responsibility for this mess. He's such a love struck fool- he only has eyes for Yuki-kun!"

"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Kyo turned to them, outraged, jasper eyes intense. "I can't help it if people come sneaking up on me! What're they- what're _girls_ doing here, anyway?" He snapped, pointing at the two of them.

Tohru looked at him, shocked.

"Watch your mouth," Yuki said coldly, not looking at him. "Whether there's women in this house or not is none of your concern. You're an outcast, remember?"

In an instant, Kyo was on his feet. "Shut…UP!" he raised a fist, bringing it down on the _**kotatsu**_, breaking it in half, sending the ashtray in the middle flying. Tohru and Rini's half were stopped by their heads. As it fell, they blinked, surprised.

"Tohru-kun, Rini-chan, you're bleeding."

"What? Bleeding?!" Tohru looked around to find where. Rini felt the blood drip onto her nose from her forehead. Kyo looked at them in shock. Yuki came over, slapping him.

"So-" Tohru looked at Yuki in shock and worry for Kyo.

"I always knew you were a fool, but you've really crossed the line this time. Just this once, I'll overlook your stupidity and give you a real fight," Yuki undid the top button of his shirt. "Kyo. Make this worth my time," he finished in a wry smile.

Kyo's fists clenched. "Bring it on, PRETTY-BOY!" he then started to kick Yuki, who effortlessly dodged.

"Sohma-kun!" Tohru stood up trying to go over to make them stop. Shigure placed a hand in front of her, Rini standing behind her, a hand on Tohru's shoulder.

"Oh, _this_ again," Shigure yawned, bored, having seen this countless times before. "Those two hate each other with a passion. They see each other, they fight. Right now you should be more concerned about stopping that bleeding." he said, dabbing Tohru's wound with some antiseptic he put on a cotton ball. "Has meeting Kyo changed your mind about wanting to be a cat?"

"Uh, um, shouldn't we stop them?" Tohru nervously asked. Rini watched the fight with great interest.

"Hmm? Oh, no. It's almost over. At any rate, today will be another victory for Yuki-kun." Shigure peeled open a bandage, sticking it on Tohru's forehead. Kyo threw a punch at Yuki, who blocked, getting close to Kyo, only to send him through the paper door with a single kick and into the garden. Yuki looked at him sprawled on the ground over his shoulder.

"I thought I told you to make it worth my time."

"Yuki-kun, don't you go destroying the house, too!" Shigure whined, dabbing at Rini's wound with antiseptic.

"Sorry, I didn't think he'd fly that far. His guard is terrible. Honda-san, are you okay?" Yuki looked at Tohru, worried. Band-aid on Rini's forehead, Shigure went over to the paper doors to cry over the damage.

"I'm completely and totally fine!" Tohru nervously reassured him.

"And you, Honda-chan?" Yuki looked over at Rini.

"I'm just surprised, thank you. I should get ready for school-"

"Aaahhh! SCHOOL! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!" Tohru shot up in shock.

"School? But what will you wear? All your uniforms are covered in mud," Shigure reminded her.

"It's okay, this one's not _too_ muddy! I'll just tell everyone I fell!" Yuki and Shigure doubted this. "I'm sorry about this," Tohru bowed to Shigure. "but I have to get to school."

"Yes, yes, you made a promise to your mother. But for my part I must tell Akito-san, the head of the Sohma family, what has happened here."

"Head of the family…he must be a very important person. Of course. I understand." Tohru smiled and headed out the door. She turned back for a brief second. "I'm off!"

"I'll see you there!" Rini waved to her sister. "Are my things upstairs?" Shigure nodded. "I put them by the door of the room you slept in."

"Thank you," she bowed, going up the stairs.

* * *

Yuki walked out of the house, seeing Rini waiting outside, touching her hair that she had put into a low ponytail. Yuki paused for a moment, then continued walking, Rini following in step with him.

"You're a very good fighter," she said after a moment of silence. "You're very agile."

"Oh…thank you, I suppose." Another silence. Rini glanced at him every so often.

"That must be it."

"Hmmm?" He looked at her, confused and curious.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself."

"You aren't going to tell anyone, are you? About my 'condition'?"

"Are you kidding me? No one would believe me if I told them, they'd just probably think I was crazy. The last place I need to be is a padded room in a straight jacket." Rini gave laugh. She could sense a kind of worry from Yuki. Looking over at him, she was right. She stopped. "I assume there's more to this 'condition' of yours?"

"If Akito decides it, you may have to get your memory erased. I trust you and Tohru to not tell anyone, but-" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He looked down.

Rini blinked, looking at him for a moment. "I'd say that it's impossible to erase someone's memories. Then again, I'd would've said it's impossible for someone to become an animal in a puff of smoke." Rini shrugged it off and kept walking. Yuki followed after a couple moments.

"I'm sorry-" Yuki started. Rini put a hand up to keep him from saying any more.

"You don't need to apologize for what you can't control, Sohma-kun. Everything happens for a reason. I learned that a long time ago. Maybe you'll understand that someday, too."


	3. A dog day

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It is © Natsuki Takaya. Original characters are my own. I did use the manga for who says what and when. Please leave a review to help me improve my writing, or to tell me how much you liked or disliked the story, but keep it nice!

You will notice some of the words have been italicized and bolded. This is because they are Japanese items or words. If the words are italicized, it's for emphasis on the word. If I have a whole sentence or paragraph(s) italicized, it's just a flashback or a thought. If it's in parenthesis, it's just a little muse by me, the writer.

**_kotatsu (ko-taht-su)-_** A low wooden table, often accompanied with a futon or heavy blanket in the colder seasons, a heat source underneath.

**_daifuku (die-foo-koo)- _**A Japanese confection made of glutinous rice (mochi) and filled with sweet bean paste (anko).

**_futon (foo-tawn)-_** Traditional bedding, consisting of a thin mattress, comforters, and pillow.

**_senpai (sen-pie)- _**Upperclassman.

* * *

"Rini, there's someone here to pick you up," Miku Hamasaki, Miyuki's daughter, Rini's senior by three years, poked her head into the backroom. Rini had changed back into her school uniform and was braiding her hair.

"Are you sure? What do they look like?" She fastened the end of the braid with her hair tie, noticing her hair poke out in wisps here and there.

"The guy that came in last night to talk to Mom. The one with the kimono. Very handsome, I must say," her dark blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "Of course, the other one he was with-"

"Thank you, Miku-san," Rini cut her off, gathering her book bag and walking out.

"See you on Monday!"

"Good night, Rini-chan!" Miyuki gave her a hug. "Would you care to tell me why he's here to take you home?" she whispered in Rini's ear, curiosity riding on other emotions in her voice.

"I'll explain later," she hugged Miyuki back, grabbing the food that had been set aside for her to have for dinner and going over to Shigure. Shigure smiled, opening the door for her. Rini gave a bow and walked outside.

"How was work?" Shigure asked, cheerful as always.

"Busy. Saturday nights usually are."

"Must be tough on you, having to work almost everyday and go to school."

"It's been a challenge, but I've been able to handle it."

"What'll happen if you can't?"

Rini pondered this for a moment. "Well then, it'll be interesting day when I reach my breaking point."

They kept silent until they reached the forest. "Akito-san has allowed for you and Tohru to live with us, as long as you keep our secret."

"That's very generous of the head of the family to allow us to live under your roof for a short amount of time," she said after a moment. "Going back to live with our family, however, I'm not looking forward to."

Shigure stopped when they reached the front door, looking at her.

"Tohru may not see it, but I sure as hell do. They don't see Tohru or myself for who we are. They're very ignorant people. Everyone was so worried about taking us in because of how our parents used to be, they're afraid that we're going to be just like them. Grandpa couldn't care one way or the other, he knows we're good people. I was happy the rest of our ingrate family decided to have us live with him, with no regard to what we went through," she exhaled, frustrated, infuriated. She went inside, taking off her shoes and going to the new _**kotatsu**_, setting her food down, taking out her homework.

"Well, you're always welcome here, Rini-chan, no matter what," Shigure sat adjacent to her, calm, happy. Rini took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, relaxing. "Is that tea?" Shigure reached for the cup amongst Rini's food. Rini swatted his hand away, a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you, Shigure-san."

* * *

Rini was still awake when Shigure and Yuki had gone to bed, the doors to the porch wide open, munching on the food she had brought home in between sentences of an essay. Kyo walked in, pausing when he saw her, but came and sat down across from her, anyways. Without looking up, Rini pushed a small box of _**daifuku**_ and cream puffs toward him. When she noticed he hadn't picked one up, she looked at him.

"What? They're not poison. Have one." She pushed the box closer with her left hand. He grabbed her wrist, inspecting the bracelet. He held up his left arm next her hers, comparing the two bracelets.

"Where'd you get it?"

"What?"

"Where'd you get the bracelet?"

"I don't know, I've just always had it, always worn it," she snatched her arm back. Kyo opened and closed his mouth a couple times before standing up, going back outside. Rini took a cream puff and bit into it, going back to her homework. "Stupid cat."

* * *

Rini awoke with a book under her head and the comforter from her _**futon**_ over her shoulders.

"Good morning, Honda-chan." Yuki said after swallowing some of his breakfast. Everyone was sitting at the _**kotatsu**_, eating take-out breakfast that Shigure no doubt ordered.

"How long have you guys been watching me sleep?" she sat up and yawned, her braid halfway undone. She found her hair tie and ran her fingers through her hair, gathering it up into a ponytail.

"Only a few minutes," Shigure said, taking a bite of food. He pushed a cup of tea and a box over to Rini, who took it gladly, putting the book she used as a pillow into her book bag.

"Tohru, if you give me your clothes and whatnot you want washed, I'll gladly do laundry," she looked at her sister sitting next to her. Tohru gave a nod, smiling. "Yuki, would you mind checking my homework later?"

"Not at all, Honda-chan."

Rini hurriedly ate her food, going upstairs and tossing her clothes into a pile outside her door. She was about to take off her uniform when she realized she had no clothes to change into. She grumbled, picking up her clothes and trudging back downstairs, almost running into Shigure. "Where's your laundry room?"

"Oh, it's beside the kitchen."

Rini groaned, going to the doors to the kitchen. "And now I can't get in." Yuki got up from the _**kotatsu**_, opening the doors for her, leading her to the laundry room.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.

"Could I borrow some clothes to change into?" Rini asked, opening the washer and piling her clothes in. Yuki nodded and ran off, returning with a change of cargo pants and a button down shirt a few moments later. "Thanks." He nodded and left. Rini closed the door slightly and proceeded to take her uniform off, tossing each individual article into the washer as soon as it was off her body.

"Rini-chan, did you find the laundry room okay?" Shigure called, opening the door to the room she had stripped down in, her back to him. Shigure paused when he saw her, eyes falling on 13 scars that ran down her back; each one looked like they had been carved into her with a knife and had scarred over. Rini covered her bare breasts with her arms as she heard him walk over to her. Shigure ran a hand down the scars, tracing out each individual character, each sign of the zodiac, including the cat.

"Shigure, don't go into the laundry room, Honda-chan is changing-" Yuki called, noticing the door was open. He walked in and froze as well, eyes wide.

"Please leave," Rini's voice was small; she had started to shake. Without a word, Shigure quietly left, ushering Yuki out of the way and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Rini sat down next to Tohru at the _**kotatsu**_, looking at all the food she had prepared, helping herself to the rice.

"Just listen to me for a second, Kyo!"

"SHUT UP!" Kyo threw open the porch door, Shigure in tow. Rini jumped, along with Tohru as Kyo and Shigure marched across the living room. "I HATE THIS! Do you really get that much enjoyment from playing with people's lives?!"

"Well, now that you mention it, I do- but this is for your own good!"

"Man, your persuasive skills suck!"

Tohru looked up at Kyo with a confused smile. "Um, welcome home. Dinner's-"

"NOT HUNGRY!" He barked at her, slamming the kitchen door shut behind him.

"Kyo! Don't take this out on Tohru-kun! And come back to the entrance hall this instant and take those shoes off!" Shigure yelled after him while proceeding to take off his shoes.

"He's right, Shigure. You really do suck at persuasion," Yuki pointed out, mouth full of food. Rini noticed that Shigure was wearing a suit, his hair nicely done. She blinked, staring at him.

"This is the first time I've seen you in a suit! You look so nice!" Tohru exclaimed, all smiles.

"Really, do you think so?" Shigure had a sly look, rubbing his chin.

"You look like a talk show host," Yuki's voice was flat. Shigure's expression dropped for a moment, then he noticed the food, smiling again.

"Ah! Dinner's ready," he took his jacket off, sitting down adjacent to the three of them.

Uh, um, why is Kyo-san…?" Tohru started, unsure of how to proceed with the sentence.

"Oh, that. Best to leave Grumpy-puss alone. I tricked him into taking the entrance exam."

"Entrance exam?" Tohru tilted her head, confused.

"You don't mean…" Rini swallowed some rice, looking at him.

"Starting tomorrow, Kyo-kun will be attending the same high school as you two," Shigure explained. Yuki's chopsticks stopped right at his mouth.

"Don't eat. Don't come near me. Don't ever speak to me again," Yuki stood, looking at Shigure, furious.

"Yes, well, I thought you'd be angry and I was right," Shigure loosened his tie. "Last time Kyo took the test, he didn't attend the local boys' high school, even though he passed. Instead, he went missing for four months, Neither Yuki-kun nor I nor anyone else knew where he went. Today he finally told me. He'd been training in the mountains."

"Training?" Tohru wondered, gathering dishes at this point.

"I'll do the dishes, Tohru," Rini offered, sipping her tea.

"Like sitting under a waterfall and wrestling bears? That kind of training?" Yuki looked at Shigure, derisive.

"Hmmm…well, something like that…I guess," Shigure thought.

"What is he going to do…with his training?" Tohru asked Shigure.

"Kyo wants to beat Yuki-kun in a fight. Ever since they were little, he has always been Kyo's rival."

Yuki sighed. "That idiot."

"The dishes are in the sink, Rini-chan," Tohru said after a moment's thought. Rini nodded and watched as Yuki and Tohru dispersed, being left alone with Shigure. Rini sipped her tea in silence, glancing up at Shigure to find him looking at her.

"What?"

"Those scars on your back. How did you get those?"

Rini stood up, gathering her dishes, going into the kitchen. "It's none of your business." Shigure followed her with his dishes.

"They're obviously not self-inflicted, unless you're really flexible. Which I wouldn't mind-"

"I don't know how I got them, okay?!" she snapped, whirling around and facing him. Shigure only smiled, leaving his dishes by the sink and walking out.

* * *

"Where?! Where is he?!"

"Look, over there! The guy with the orange hair."

"Huh?! They don't look alike at all!"

"He's cute!"

"Is that his natural color?"

"Hey, are you really Yuki-kun's cousin?!"

"Do you guys get along?"

Rini giggled as she watched Kyo's skin crawl at the sudden swarm of girls around him, noting the strong feeling of fear she felt from him. She leaned against Uo as Hana curled Tohru's hair. "Poor thing only just sat down."

"Yuki-kun! Is it true your cousin just transferred here? Introduce us!" One girl said not far off. Yuki just looked at them, his smile sincere with a hint of contempt.

"I'm sorry, _**senpai**_. He is my cousin, but we're not close. I don't even speak to him."

"His hair certainly is interesting," Uo commented, looking at Tohru and Hana. "It's a little like Kyoko-san's hair color."

"Now that you mention it, it is." Tohru said.

"They're the same. The very same…I feel the same waves from him as I do from Yuki Sohma and Rini. These waves I sense…what do they mean? So different from others…almost inhuman…"

Rini looked at Hana. "So I'm inhuman now?"

"Hey, that's rude," Uo said to Hana.

Kyo stood up, walking away from the girls that had amassed around him.

"Sohma-kun?" one of the girls talked to him watched as he stood up and started walking off. "Hey, where're you going? Let's talk!" she followed him, grabbing one of his arms. Kyo snapped, grabbing the girls wrist, twisting his body, and slamming her onto the floor, hand still on her wrist, twisting her arm, elbow on her shoulder blade. "OW! THAT HURTS!" the girl cried.

"Kyo!" Tohru took a step forward, Rini hurried over to get Kyo off of the girl.

"Sohma-kun, what's wrong?"

"Just…chill, okay?"

"Let go!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kyo shot up and headed to the window, throwing it open, half of his body already out onto the sill.

"Stop! This is the second floor!" two of the girls hurried over as he jumped out, taking off as soon as he hit the ground. The group surrounding the window looked after him in shock and awe.

"Amazing! Did you see that?! Just like Sohma-kun's cousin to be special!"

"Special? He's a freak! This is the second floor!"

"Interesting guy," Uo laughed. Rini calmly walked back to Uo, Hana and Tohru, shaking her head, seeing Yuki leave the classroom.

* * *

Kyo sat down, breathing heavily.

"Hey. Use your head, will you? If you act like an idiot, it causes problems for me," Yuki's looked at him, voice cold.

"Are you insane? Why do you go to a school that's crawling with girls?"

"Because it's better than hiding in fear everyday and going to an all boys' school on Akito's orders. I want out of the Sohma cage, even just a little. I can't understand why you want so badly in that cage."

Kyo's anger flared. "You…a RAT would never understand!"

Rini peered around a corner, watching the two of them. Tohru walked past her towards them.

"This time, I WILL beat you! I'll beat you and become one of the zodiac! I won't be shunned by the Sohma family any longer! I will beat you!" Kyo rushed Yuki, grabbing the front of Yuki's shirt.

"No!" Tohru cried, coming up behind Kyo and accidentally hugging him, transforming him into his cat form. Kyo jumped out of her arms, Tohru sunk down to her knees. "I know you're angry, but you can't keep fighting. People get in trouble for fighting at school."

"Would you shut up?! I don't care if I get in trouble, as long as I beat that damn Yuki! Stay out of my way! What's with you?! I CAN'T EVEN STAND TO LOOK AT YOU!"

Tohru walked off, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You know, you really are an idiot," Yuki's said, his back to Kyo.

"You're not gonna hit me?" Kyo looked down, still in cat form, obviously regretting his outburst at Tohru.

"There's times when it hurts more not to."

Rini watched as Yuki walked off and Kyo 'poofed' back into his human form, getting dressed. She walked up behind Kyo. "Hey."

Kyo whirled around as Rini punched him the face, sending him sprawling at her feet. She flexed her hand and walked off to the nurse's office.

* * *

Rini walked out of the café, yawning.

"Hey."

Rini whipped around, grabbing the fist that came at her with her bandaged hand, food swinging from the bag on her wrist. Kyo placed firm pressure into the palm of her hand, looking at her.

"Did you come here to walk me home or kick my ass?" Rini slowly let go of his fist, taking a step back from him.

"I have no interest in fighting a girl," he said, turning and walking off towards Shigure's house. Rini followed after him.

"So…how's your face?"

"It's fine."

"Damn, I guess I didn't hit hard enough."

Kyo stopped and looked at her. "Are you two seriously related?"

"You know, sometimes I wonder that, too. Not that you really care."

"Look-"

"Kyo, I know you didn't mean to yell at her. Just apologize to Tohru and try being nice to her. We won't be living with Shigure-san for very long, and it would probably mean a lot to her if she knew you didn't hate her, since I get the feeling you don't hate either of us. She really likes the cat in the zodiac." She walked on past him, just wanting to get home.

"What about you?" he followed after her.

"Me? It's more of a love/hate relationship with the cat- well, all of the zodiac members, actually," she paused for a moment, looking at him over her shoulder, then she kept walking. "So much so it's going to be hardest staying with you and Yuki for however long than it will be with Shigure."

* * *

"So, Kyo-kun, I hear you walked our little Rini and Tohru home. How were your dates?" Shigure joked over breakfast. Rini rolled her eyes, eating her rice. "Kyo-kun and Tohru sitting in a tree. K-I-S-"

"Stop it! It wasn't like that!" Kyo snapped. "Yesterday was a fluke. It won't ever happen again! EVER!"

"Awww…" Rini whined.

"Okay. I'm just happy you're eating my food. Do you like it?" Tohru smiled at him, eyes shining.

"Huh? Uh…It's…" Kyo started, noticing Yuki looking at him. "What?!" Kyo looked at Yuki, angry.

"Nothing."

"Will you quit staring at me?!"

"I was just looking."

"WELL CUT IT OUT!"

"You don't like it?" Tohru asked Kyo, referring back to her cooking.

"IT SUCKS!" he declared, eyes blazing, looking at her. All of them paused. Rini snorted and started giggling as Yuki exhaled, disgusted.


End file.
